Regulator mechanism



Nov. 14, 1950 J. B. PARSONS REGULATOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 8, 1947 INVENTOR. JON/V 5. P/JESONS mat} Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REGULATOR MECHANISM John B. Parsons, Toledo, Ohio ApplicationJanuai-yfl, 1947; Serial No. 720,848"

1 Claim.

This invention relates to regulatormechanisms such, for example, as mechanism for :raising and lowering the windows of automobileaand anobject is to producea regulator which is particularly suited for the actuation of vehicle window panels which constitutes a unitary assembly .for installation in the window well and is. designed to occupy a minimumamount of space, the regulator having power actuating :means whereby-the window may beactuated in one direction by pressure fluid and in the -opposite direction by spring means. Although the" regulator is admirably adapted for vehicle window operation, it maybe used to advantage inother locations such, for ex! ample, as vehicle-seat adjustment, the salient feature residing in the'structural design by which the assembly occupies a relatively small amount of -space.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear, and for purposeso'f illustration butnot of limitation, anembodiment of: the invention is shown in the accompanyingdraw-ings, in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of aregulatormechanism connected to operate a vehicle window panel, employinga hydraulic piston and cylinder, assembly for actuating the same in one direction and a spring for actuationin the oppositedirection';

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantiall on the line 2-20f Figure -1-; and

Figure 3 is-an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lower portionof the regulator mechanism showing it mounted to a supporting panel.

In the regulator, for example, shown on Figure 1 of my Patent 2,400,572, datedMay 21, 1946, and entitled Regulator Mechanism Unit, some diffi culty has been experienced in mounting itin automobile bodies where the space is extremely limited. It is to be understood that-the lengthof window travel may be uniform but the space limitations are such that some redesign of the regulator wasfound to be necessary to produce an assembly which would accommodate the limited space but at the same time would efiect substantially the same window travel. eratum has been accomplished by the structure hereinafter described,

In the drawings, the frame comprises upright side bars or stanchions l and H which are connected at theirlower ends by a cross bar l2, the intermediate portion of which is embossed outwardly asindicated at l2a to provide a substantially central portion spaced outwardly from but in parallel relationship to the end portions to This desid-- which the stanchions I a-and l lare connected. Thecrossbar-l 2 is'rigid with-thestanchion I 0 and is connected thereto by a'pair of' rivets I3 and the stanchion H ispivotally connected to the oppositeend of the cross bar [2 by asingle rivet I4; As shownonFigure 2, the stanchions l0 and H are ofc'hanneL-shapeand areformed by folding a stripof relativelylight gauge metal upon itself and-in-this-instancathecross bar is disposed on the outersideof the stanchions at the extreme lower-ends thereof. The embossed portion 1 2a of thecross b'ar l 2 may be mounted on a suitable supporting panel li forming part of the automobile body or door structure by shouldered bolts 6 passing therethrough; the ou-t'erends-receiving nuts ll.- Spring-members 'l8-are'disp0sed on opposite sides o'f the embossed'portion- "I 2a and the ends are -=slotted to fit between the shouldered portion of the bolts IB-an'd -by fitting the bolts somewhat loosely in the cross bar, a limited amount of rocking movement of the assembly during the operation -of..the Window regulator is afforded. A-mountingoflthis character is shown and :described in my Patent 2,398,852 dated April 23, 1946, -and-entit1ed Vehic1e Window Regulator Mechanism, and-since'thesame forms no part of the present invention, further description is not considered necessary.

A pair of cross arms I 9 and 20 arep'ivotally connected intermediate their ends by a rivet 2| and the inner end of the crossarm Ill-extends between the chainie'l portions of thestanchion IO and is pivoted thereto'bya rivet 22-; The inner end of the arm 20 issimilarly mounted on the stanchion H by a rivet 23'. The outerends of the cross armsl9and '20over-lap the sides-0f the stanchions-and the-extremeouter ends are provided with studs-24 fittingl horizontally elongate guides 25 which depend irom a channel member 26'. embracing the lower edge of the window glass or panel 21.

Itis to be understood' thatinterposed between the sides of each "of the U-sh'aped stanchions in the region ofthe ri vets I 3-; l4, 22 and 23 is a spacer sleevef28 through which each rivet passes. Manifestly,.the'spacer sleeves insure that the parts can pivottfreely-and liability of the sides of the stanchions' being deformed to crowd or interfere with the swinging mo'vement, is prevented. Theregulatbr crossarms l9 and 20 are actuated inone direction, for example, to raise-the window panel :21 by a piston-operating in a cylinder 29 and-"having a piston rod 30 connectedto the-crossarm l9 between its pivotal mounting 2?. and the pivotal connection 2 I. The cylinder 29 and piston 3 rod 30 are disposed inside of the stanchion l and between the stanchions l0 and H. Liquid is introduced to the cylinder through a connection 3| to which a suitable tube (not shown) may be attached so that liquid may be introduced under pressure to drive the piston and consequently, the piston rod 30, upwardly, thereby to cause upward swinging movement of the regulator arms. Depending from the cylinder 29 is a post 32 which is connected by a, fastener 33 to a compensating or bracket arm 34. One end of the bracket arm 34 extends between the sides of the stanchion I0 and is pivotally mounted on one of the rivets l3 which secure the stanchion II] to the cross bar [2. As shown, the bracket arm 34 is pivoted to the innermost rivet 13 so that such rivet not only assists in rigidly securing the stanchion [0 to the cross bar l2, but also provides a pivotal mounting for the bracket or compensating arm 34. The opposite end of the bracket arm 34 is disposed between the channel sides of the stanchion H and upward movement thereof is limited by a rivet 35 carried by the stanchion II. It will be noted that the outer end portion is cut away as indicated at 36 so that the arm 34 may swing downwardly and clear the rivet I4 and be disposed substantially in parallel relationship to the cross bar l2 and. in substantially flush alignment therewith.

Ordinarily, it will be understood that the compensating arm 34 is secured to the stanchion above the cross bar l2 but this requires a somewhat longer assembly but by mounting the compensating arm in the manner above described, the over-all length of the assembly can be reduced. The olfsetting of the cross bar [2 in the manner shown and described enables the assembly conveniently to be mounted on a suitable support and no interference with the swinging movement 01 the arm 34 i encountered.

A coil spring 31 has one end connected to the cross arm between its pivotal point 23 and the center rivet 2|, and the opposite end of the spring is hooked over the outer end portion of the compensating arm 34, the latter being notched to receive it. The spring operates to cause the cross arm to swing downwardly for lowering the window panel 27. At the same time, any liquid disposed within the cylinder 29 is forced out through the connection 3|.

Reference is hereby made to my Patent 2,400,572 for a complete description of the operation of the above described regulator. Suflice it to say that there is disposed within the cylinder 29 a solenoid controlled valve and upon energizing the solenoid, the valve is unseated and liquid is forced through the connection 3| to cause the upward movement of the window panel 21 and. during this movement, the stanchion H can rock relatively to the stanchion I 0 for accommodating the various positions of the cross arm regulator. Manifestly during the upward movement of the window glass 21, the contractile coil spring 31 is placed under tension so that when the solenoid within the cylinder 29 is again energized to unseat its valve, the spring 31 lowers the window panel and at the same time forces the liquid from the cylinder. The window panel 21 is retained in any desired position of adjustment by the liquid trapped within the cylinder 29'.

The bracket or compensating arm 34 militates against damage to the parts; For example, when the window panel 21 is in its fully raised position and any expansion of the liquid within the cylinder 29 takes place, the arm 34 is adapted to rock thereby to compensate for such expansion and thereby prevent the window or regulator parts from becoming broken or damaged.

It will be apparent from the above description that the over-all height of the regulator assembly is substantially reduced by the unique mounting of the compensating or bracket arm 34 with relation to the cross bar I2 and the embossing oi the latter to accommodate the compensating lever movement and parts secured thereto. This enables the assembly to be mounted in a smaller space without sacrificing the desired movement l of the regulator arms to efiect full opening and 15 closing movements to the window panel.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation maybe effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claim,

What I claim is:

A regulator mechanism comprising a frame having a pair of laterally-spaced stanchions, a cross bar extending between the adjacent portions of said stanchions at one end, said cross bar having end portions overlapping the last-mentioned ends of said two stanchions, a pivot connecting one end portion of said cross bar and one stanchion, theopposite end of said one stanchion being relatively moveable toward and away from the other stanchion, the intermediate portion of said cross arm being embossed outwardly to lie in a plane outside the plane of said stanchions, a pair of spaced rivets fixedly connecting the other end portion of said cross bar to the other stanchion, a pair of cross arms pivoted together intermediate their ends, pivotal connections between corresponding ends of their arms and said stanchions, and means for swinging said arms whereby the pivotally mounted'stanchion rocks toward and away from the other stanchion during the swinging of said cross arms from one extreme position to the other, the last-named means including a piston having a piston rod pivoted to one of the cross arms, a cylinder for said piston, a compensating-arm for said cylinder pivotally'supported at one end on one of said pair of spaced rivets in substantially overlapping relation to the adjacent end of said cross arm, said compensating arm extending between said stanchions and lying generally horizontally opposite said cross arm, a stop on said one stanchion for said compensating arm for limiting the upward swinging movement thereof, the lower portion of the free end of said compensating arm being cut away toenable same to swing downwardly against said'pivot substantially into posi tion of alignment with respect to said cross bar, and a coil-spring-connected to the other cross arm at the other end and to said compensating arm at the other end. i

' JOHN B. PARSONS.

REFERENCES CITED "The following references are of record in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 

